Sheik
by FlamingBulbinArrow
Summary: The diary of Princess Zelda as she for the Hero of Time to awaken and leave the Sacred Realm. Takes place in the seven years during Ocarina of Time that the gamer doesn't experience.
1. Chapter 1

Finally, the first chapter of my first fic! I actually intend on keeping this story up until the very end. XD

Sorry about the first bit! It'll get better, I promise. XD

Part 1: Kakariko

Lightning splits the sky above our heads, making it seem like midday for a fraction of a second. Impa grabs me by the waist and lifts me up onto my horse, a white stallion named Strider. There is fear in her eyes as she climbs on and sits behind me, taking the reins. She fears for my life, as my bodyguard and as my friend. She barks a command to the horse and flicks the reins, and Strider leaps forward, galloping down the wet cobblestone streets of Castle Town.

As we run from the dark Castle, Impa whispers in my ear, "It's okay. Everything's going to be all right."

But I know in my heart that it's not. I know my life is in danger, and I know that if I die tonight, my beloved kingdom will die as well. I hear a whinny far behind us, and I make the mistake of looking back. The man from the desert is following us on a jet-black horse with wild eyes.

And they're getting closer, fast.

I turn back around to see a soldier in the distance, standing next to the closed drawbridge. Impa yells to him and orders him to lower the bridge, then close it behind us. He pulls the lever and the drawbridge begins to open ever so slowly; so slowly that I fear we won't make it over the moat without stopping.

When we reach the gate, it's just low enough for us to jump off of the edge and onto the grass behind. I can barely make out the form of a boy in the darkness and rain. A blue fairy hovers loyally around his head. It's the boy from the forest, the one I dreamt about and then later sent on a quest to save my kingdom. I know what he will become one day, and he will need the Ocarina of Time. I take it out of a hidden pocket in my dress and throw it his way. Then I close my eyes and pray to the goddesses that they will aid him in the gruesome days to come.

I don't dare look behind me again, for fear of seeing the red-haired man growing closer. Instead, I keep my eyes shut tight and let Impa guide us to where we will hide from the man who killed my father.

I sit against the wall of the cavern while Impa builds a small fire. Link, the boy from the forest, will need to go to the Temple of Time, where he will play the Song of Time to open the door to where the Master Sword sleeps. That much he already knows. But he doesn't know that pulling the sword out of its pedestal will open another door, this one to the Sacred Realm, where he will sleep until he comes of age. At his young age, he is not yet capable of stopping the powerful wizard Ganondorf. I can only hope that he will be ready when the time comes, and that the destruction that Ganondorf will wreak on my beloved Hyrule will not be so great that it can't be fixed. I know now what I have to do. I look over at Impa, who is gently blowing our fire into existence, and make my choice.

"Impa, we can't stay hidden like this for long."

She meets my gaze and, after a moment, replies solemnly, "I know we can't, but we can try. And if we are found, you know that I will protect you with my life."

I have other plans in mind. "It will never come to that, because I'm going to become the enemy."

She looks at me with a mixture of confusion and horror, and I continue.

"I will change my identity and hide in plain sight. I wish to become someone else, someone other than the Princess of Hyrule, and work for Ganondorf."

Her astonishment grows. "You can't possibly mean-"

"Impa, if we keep running from him, it will end in disaster. But the only place he will never look for me is under his own nose."

Worry and fear cross her face, and then she relents. "Zelda, you have always shown wisdom far beyond your years. I see now that this is the best thing to do." She stands and walks over to my side. When I stand as well, she asks, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" I nod, and she kneels in front of me, her right fist across her chest. "Although I fear for your life, I fully agree that it will be safer for you as close to the enemy as possible. I will grant your wish." With this, she walks silently over to where Strider stands patiently in a corner and reaches into a saddlebag, pulling out a bundle.

"You will become one of the Sheikah, one of my people who are long gone. You will say that you are seeking revenge against the Royal Family for the wrongs that they did your ancestors." As she speaks, she brings the bundle over to me. "This is the uniform of a Sheikah warrior that I rescued from the ashes of my home long ago. It will be a crucial part of your disguise, and much better for movement than a dress."

I unfold the bundle and hold it in front of me. A white scarf, a shawl, and rolls of bandages fall from the bundle and onto the floor. The uniform is a white full-body suit that has black and blue along the arms and legs. I lay it aside and pick up the shawl, which is square and bears a black eye pattern with a single tear falling from it. It is the same design that is printed on Impa's armor.

I look back down at the objects on the floor. "What are the bandages for?" I ask.

Impa takes my right hand in hers and lifts it so I can see. When she touches her finger to the back of my hand, my Triforce symbol begins to glow. "For hiding this from Ganondorf," she replies, "and for protecting your body from the elements. The scarf will serve to hide most of your face so that you will not be easily recognizable."

She then helps me to get the uniform on, wrapping my torso and hands with the bandages. The shawl goes over my head and hangs in the front and back of my torso. Impa cuts my hair short, like a boy's, and wraps my head as well. I wrap the scarf loosely around my neck and pull it up over my nose, so that the only visible part of my face is my blue eyes. Impa puts a finger on my forehead and says, "Close your eyes." I do as she says, and notice immediately that something about me has changed. I open my eyes again and everything around me is brighter, clearer, sharper, and more colorful than before. Impa takes her hand away and explains. "You now have the characteristic red eyes of the Sheikah. They will help you to see much clearer than a Hylian would."

She looks down at me gravely. "You will from now on be known as Sheik. Never reveal your true identity to anyone; even those you think are close to you. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you the ways of the Sheikah. But for now, you must rest."

"Thank you, Impa. You have always been a wonderful mentor, and a wonderful friend. I put my life into your able hands for the remaining time we have together."

She smiles. "It is my honor, Sheik."

Then she goes to sit near the mouth of the cave and keep watch, while I try to go to sleep. I beg the goddesses for their help on my own journey that begins tomorrow.

_I push Link off of the platform, giggling to myself, and watch him fall. At the very last second before he hits the ground, he opens up the sailcloth and floats down gracefully onto his feet. It makes my heart leap with joy to see my best friend become a knight. I summon my bird and fly down to him, almost knocking him over in a huge tackle-hug._

_"You did it! I'm so proud of you!" I back up a little bit. "So, I was thinking… Since you won the contest and everything… Do you maybe want to… go ride around the clouds together?"_

_He grins. "Yeah, of course!"_

_We run hand in hand to the edge of the monument and jump off, calling our beloved birds, who gracefully scoop us up out of the air. We glide through the air, just enjoying the sun and the wind in our faces. I finally decide to tell him what's on my mind. "You know, Link, I've been wanting to talk to you about something for a long time…" Before I can go on, we spot a black smudge in front of us. "What is that?" Our birds begin to turn around to avoid the black swirling winds, but it's too late. I'm jolted off of my bird and sucked down into the clouds. I reach out for Link, who looks on helplessly before trying to dive in and grab me. He and his bird are thrown out of the winds, and I scream as I fall into the unknown._

I wake to a hand on my mouth. My eyes fly open, and I see Impa standing over me with a finger on her lips. She helps me to stand, and as I look around the cave, I remember where I am.

So all of this wasn't just a bad dream.

I pull my scarf back up over my nose, Impa puts out the fire and scatters the ashes, and we retreat deeper into the cave. I hold my breath, afraid of breathing too loudly. We hear a snort from the outside. Oh, goddesses. We've been found.

Impa looks at me and silently mouths, Kakariko.

At the mouth of the cave, I see every detail of Ganondorf's horse, from its wild glowing red eyes to the intricate workings of its armor. Ganondorf is not in the saddle. Heavy footsteps echo throughout the cave, and Impa stealthily climbs onto Strider. She puts her hands together and closes her eyes. A shadow appears behind her, changing into the shape of a girl; into the shape of me, with my long blonde hair, blue eyes, and royal garb. Impa opens her eyes, looks pointedly at me, and then gallops out of the cave.

Ganondorf appears and leaps onto his own horse, chasing after Impa. There is a hunger in his eyes that sends a chill up my spine. Impa pulls a small seed out of a pouch on her waist and throws it into the ground. Ganondorf shields his eyes from the blinding flash of light it creates, and when it disappears, Impa is gone, taking my terrified image with her. Ganondorf curses and yanks his reins, pulling his horse in the direction that Impa had been going: west, towards the Gerudo Valley.

I keep myself pasted to the back wall of the cave, hiding in the shadows for a few more moments to make sure he is out of sight before I breathe again. Impa was headed west, but I remember what she told me. When I'm sure I can't be followed, I head northeast, towards Death Mountain.

So, that was the first chappie! Hope you liked it, and the next part is coming soon! XD

~FBA~


	2. Chapter 2

Finally, my second chapter! I've had a hard time finding time to write, but I'll try to be better about it ^^'

The trek across Hyrule Field is brutal. I am so used to the comforts of royal life that getting used to life on the run will be hard.

When I finally, _finally_ reach the steps that lead to Kakariko Village, I feel as if my legs will give out at any second, and I will be stranded on the side of the mountain. I make it, however, and get top of the steps, where Impa materializes out of the shadows and guides me through the village to the place where we will stay. I am so tired, and all I want is to sleep.

"I am so glad you were able to make it across Hyrule Field alone," she says with relief, "and that you could defend yourself on the way here. Are you hurt at all? Do you have any wounds, or cuts, or-"

"Impa! I'm _fine_, all right?! And what do you mean about me defending myself? The way here was clear; I didn't once encounter anyone between the cave and Kakariko."

She frowns. "That's strange. Lately Hyrule Field has become infested with monsters at night."

I look at her, incredulous. "What?! There are monsters out there, and you didn't even tell me about them?!"

She winces. "I might… have forgotten to mention that."

I throw my hands up. "I was out there all alone tonight, _without a weapon_-"

"I gave you a weapon! Don't you remember that there are knives strapped to your wrists?"

I stop and feel my wrists, and sure enough, there is a place just under where each wrist bends where there is a hard spot underneath the tight fabric of my sleeves. I reach under my right sleeve and hook my finger into a loop, pulling a 3-inch blade into view.

Oh. Right. But still.

"You still didn't tell me," I grumble.

"I thought you knew. But why was the field clear tonight?"

"I think they've been waiting. I sense great evil in the presence of Ganondorf. Perhaps he controls them or rules them, and they were waiting for him to throw me out of the castle and become king! Impa, what are we going to do?! He will destroy the entire kingdom before I can do anything! He needs to be stopped, _now_!"

Impa turns and puts her hands on my shoulders. "Zelda. Calm down. There is nothing we can do. Not yet…We have to wait. You're not a princess anymore; let it go. There will come a day when you will return to your throne, but in the meantime, we must do what we can to prepare for that day".

Tears well up in my eyes. "I don't think anyone can prepare for the days to come."

"But we have to try." She puts her arm around me and looks up at the lights of the inn we stand in front of. A sign hangs over the entrance with a peculiar spider painted on it, reading _The Golden Skulltula_.

"Tonight, we need to relax for once."

We walk into the inn and are engulfed in its warmth and light and sound. It is a humble little place, with a bar of sorts on the first floor. There are round wooden tables placed throughout the room, at which a handful of people sit and talk. A large bald man with a bushy white mustache stands behind the bar drying glasses with a towel.

Impa pats me on the back once and goes to lean on the counter and ask the man for a room. I look around the bar at the people chatting about their wives or complaining about recent weather. Something catches my eye: a cloaked figure sits alone at a table in the back corner. The corner is poorly lit and the figure's hood is pulled low over his face, so I can only tell that he is watching me from the chill that goes up my spine. He suddenly looks up, and I see blue eyes and violet—violet!—hair before I look elsewhere, not wanting to be caught staring.

Impa turns around and leaves the counter, throwing another "thank you" over her shoulder before dangling a key from her hand and smiling at me. "Let's go, Sheik."

As we walk up the stairs to our room, a thought occurs to me: "Where is Strider?" I ask.

"I put him away in the stables before you came. He will be well-cared for by the innkeeper".

"Does he still have his saddlebags on him?"

"Yes…"

"Impa!"

She gives me a look. "By the goddesses, I'm getting old. I must have forgotten to get them before turning him in! I'll have to go back". She hands me the key. "Go get settled in. I'll be right back". Then she turns around and goes back down the stairs.

"Wait!" I call after her. "Which room are we-" I hear the inn door open and shut. "…in." _Bulbins, she's already left_.

I look down at the key in my hand, and the number 3 is engraved into the head. Oh. I finish climbing the stairs and look around the small, quiet hallway at the faded green doors with tarnished silver numbers on them. I find the door that says "3" and unlock it, stepping into almost complete darkness. My red Sheikah eyes can still see the two beds and stove that are the only furniture in the tiny room.

A sense of unease overcomes me, and I feel again as if I'm being watched. I can barely hear—if it's not a figment of my imagination—faint breathing, other than my own, behind me. I slowly reach into my right sleeve and hook my middle finger into the knife hidden there. Then I take a deep breath and whirl around, hoping to see whoever was there, but only catching sight of a black wisp of smoke in the hallway. It is deathly quiet.

I decide to go back downstairs to wait for Impa.

I sit at the table nearest to the bar and look over at the dark corner where the violet-haired boy was sitting. He is no longer there. He must have left while we were upstairs.

Impa finally returns, a small brown leather bag slung over her shoulder. We go back to our room, and I collapse on the bed. Before either of us can say a word, my eyes close and I let sleep wash over me.

_I wake in a strange place, the likes of which I've never seen before. The air here smells different. I'm sitting on the same grass as in Skyloft, and there are trees, but there is much, much more of both. I'm surrounded by trees, ten times larger than the scant few you can find at home. Tiny, tiny multicolored birds hop around on the ground around me._ How can birds be so small?_ I try to remember what happened, how I got here. Oh, that's right. Link won the contest and became a knight, and I was going to tell him how I feel, until…_

_I sit up and stretch my sore limbs. I must have fallen down to the Surface. So it is real! I was right all along!_

_I get up and look around, breathing in the new air, and see a vine-draped stone building not too far away. On my way toward the strange building, I let my eyes wander, studying my new surroundings._

_I come to a moss-covered door, and have to use my shoulder to push it open. Once there is enough room for me to go inside, I squeeze through and enter._

_"Hello? Is anyone here?"_

_"Hello, Zelda. Welcome to the Surface."_

Rays of sunlight throw themselves across the room, and tiny specs of dust glitter in their path. Impa walks into the room and announces, "Breakfast time! Come on, sleepyhead!"

As we sit at a rickety table downstairs, Impa lays out her plans. "Today, I'm going to teach you the fighting techniques of the Sheikah," she says, "and when you are ready, you will have to leave me."

My eyes widen. "What?!"

Impa shushes me and drops her voice. "Sheik, it's too dangerous for you to stay with me. I am Princess Zelda's bodyguard, and if I'm seen with a ten-year-old child, regardless of apparent gender, what will that mean to Ganondorf?"

"But-"

"Sheik, you can't pass for my son for very long. People are going to suspect you are the Princess of Hyrule in disguise, or that you know something of her whereabouts."

I look over her shoulder to see the bald man staring at us. I stand up.

"Don't tell me you think I _know_ something! The princess disappeared just the night before! How should_ I_ know where she is?!"

Impa's eyes widen, then she realizes what I'm doing, and I see a hint of a smile spread across her face, then disappear just as quickly as it came. "Calm down, Sheik. You'll get your revenge soon enough. I probably won't get to see it, though. I'm just glad I left. I couldn't stand babysitting that freak of nature anymore."

Good. Now, if that man has a large mouth or works for the enemy, he will spread the news that Impa has abandoned the Princess and left her for dead.

And I'm also off the hook.

And that was Chapter 2! Please review, and the third chappie will be up soon! XD

~FBA~


	3. Chapter 3

"Almost. Try again. Put your feet like this."

I plant my feet on the ground the way she is showing me and throw the blade in my hand. The handle hits the right edge of the target and sends the knife spinning. I throw my hands up and cry out in frustration.

"_Bulbins_, Impa, how do you expect me to do something so_ hard?!_"

"Just try again. You're getting close."

"No, I'm not," I mumble, but I take the next knife from her hand anyway. I try again, this time throwing a little further to the left. The handle bounces off of the center of the target. Impa smiles.

"See? You have perfect aim. Now you just need to learn how to make it stick." She stands next to me and throws a knife, and the blade smacks into the center of the target, quivering. "Like that. First, figure out how hard you need to throw it, then the rest will come to you."

Another knife appears in her hand out of nowhere, and she holds it out to me. "Try one last time."

I sigh and take it. I plant my feet, size up the target, and throw. The knife sticks into the target just off of the bulls-eye mark. I grin and look over to Impa who grins back at me.

Maybe I can do this after all.

Over the course of the day we train with throwing knives, long knives, and tiny poison needles, as well as smoke bombs and flash bombs; and by the time the sun begins to set, I am frustrated and exhausted.

I slouch, letting my left hand hang at my side, and hold my aching head in my right.

"Come on, Sheik. Don't give up. Try one last time."

You have_ got_ to be kidding me. That is just about the _billionth_ time she has said that all day. I'm bruised all over from sparring for twelve straight hours, and my stomach groans loudly.

"_Fine_. One last time, and then can we please get something to eat?"

She raises her eyebrows. "Are you _sure_ you want to stop?" I glare at her, and she laughs out loud. "Alright, alright. This time give it your all, and maybe, just maybe, I'll let you go."

I back up a little, and we both get into a fighting stance. I make the first move, lunging at her side with my right fist. She slides to the left and pokes me hard in the arm with two fingers. I feel it go limp. _Bulbins!_ I turn and throw a kick at her legs, hoping to catch her off balance, but she quickly grabs my foot and swings it around, flipping me over so that I land on the ground face down.

I hit the ground hard, and my breath is knocked out of my lungs. I lay on my stomach and gasp for breath for a moment, and when I find it, I roll over and spread my arms on the ground, closing my eyes.

I hear Impa's heavy footsteps approaching me, and I open my eyes to see her standing over me with her hands on her hips. "Well, you've got the right idea at least." She reaches out her hand and I take it, letting her pull me up off of the ground. "You've just got to be much faster. You don't have to be stronger than your opponent to bring them down. You only have to be quick enough to evade their attacks, and be able to recognize and take advantage of their weak points. I didn't even have to strike you this time; all I had to do was find your weak point, which when you kicked was your balance, and use it against you."

"I'm_ trying_, Impa, I really am-"

"And you're getting it. You're learning much faster than anyone else I have ever taught. The things that you have learned in one day would take a Hylian soldier months to learn and perfect."

My stomach growls again, threatening to tear itself out of my body and find its own food. Impa laughs. "We had better get that Wolfos of yours to a dinner table, quick!"

I giggle. "Hurry, before it eats a hole in me!"

"Run! I don't think it'll wait much longer!"

She starts to sprint to the inn, and I follow her, laughing, ignoring the pain in my limbs and actually enjoying myself for once.

_Inside the building is a temple, with an enormous chunk of some strange stone right in the middle. An old woman sits cross-legged in front of me, her face drooping with age, and a single, wound-up braid swings back and forth from her head._

_"How do you know my name?" I ask._

_The woman chuckles. "I know quite a few things, dear. Soon, you will, too." She leans forward. "I've been waiting a long time for you to arrive, Zelda. The entire world is in danger, and you are going to help save it."_

_This blows me away. "What?! Just a few minutes ago, I was home, riding around the sky with Link, and now-" Link. I just can't get my mind off of him. What is he doing now? Is he looking for me? What will father do when he finds out I'm gone?_

_...How am I going to get back?_

_The woman stands slowly and takes my hand. She is only about half as tall as I am, but the red cloak she wears has a spire on it that makes her seem taller. "Come, child," she says, "We have work to do."_

_She leads me out to the place where I landed, a green patch of grass right outside the temple. The soft grass still has an imprint where I fell. The woman points to a gate that I hadn't noticed before._

_"That path leads into the forest. You must go to the Skyview Temple, which resides deep in the heart of the Faron Woods, and purify yourself in the waters of the spring. There, you will gain knowledge about your quest, and your purpose in being here."_

_What? This woman is talking in riddles! "What are you _talking_ about? I just got here! I don't even know _how_ I got here, or why-"_

_"If you do this, you will understand. Now, once you go into the forest, find Bucha, and he will show you the way to the temple."_

_I relent. Perhaps I will make sense of all of this if I just do as she says. "Fine, all right." I start toward the open gate, and the woman calls after me._

_"You have a very important role to play in the saving of this world. _Be careful_."_

_This woman must be crazy._

_But I have nowhere else to go, so I enter the forest, curious as to what exactly a forest _is_, and begin my quest._

Wow, I've really been slacking. My life has been CRAZY busy for the past few weeks. Sorry, guys. I'll get better, though, promise! XD

I love you all! Please review, I'd greatly appreciate your feedback!

~FBA~


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